Tumbler-lock.



L. P. DAHL.

TUMBLER LOOK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1908.

2 SHEBTS-BHBET 2.

imam 2%? Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

LENDIS FREDRICK DAHL, OF SNOHOMISH,

WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W. FARR, OF SNOHOMISH,WASHINGTON.

TUMBLER-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1909.

Application filed September 1 1908. Serial No. 453,011.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LnNnrs F. DAHL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Snohomish, in the county of Snohomish and State ofWashington, have invented a new and useful Tumbler-Lock, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to looks for doors and the like and its object isto provide a lock utilizing a series of flat tumblers so as to require akey the bit of which corresponds with the tumblers.

A further object is to provide means car ried by each of the tumblersfor closing or partly closing that portion of the key-hole located belowthe key, this closing operation being produced as soon as the key isgiven a partial rotation, the insertion of any pick or other implementin addition to a key, as is sometimes done by unauthorized persons,being thus positively prevented.

Afurther object is to provide a lock having a reversible latch bolt theposition of which can be readily changed to convert the lock into eithera right-hand or a left-hand lock.

i/Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter more fully described and pointed. out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is an elevation of the lock with one of itsface-plates re moved. Fig. 2 is a section on line A-B, Fig. 1, both faceplates being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of thelatch-bolt detached. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bolt and itstumblers, some of the tumblers being shifted out of their normalositions. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a key to e used in connection withthe tumblers. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the links of thelatch.

Referring to the figures by reference 1 designates a lock preferredconstruction, this casing and preferably formed integral therewith is aguide rib 2 having a recess 3 extending longitudinally therein and provided with a central notch 1. Slidably characters of easing of any andarranged within mounted within the recess 3 is a flat tongue 5 extendingfrom the head 6 of the latch bolt, said head having its free end beveledas indicated at 7. Longitudinal ribs 8 are formed upon opposite faces ofthe tongue 5 at the center thereof and either of these ribs is designedto travel within the notch 1 according to the position assumed by thelatch bolt i within the lock. Should the head 6 be ar--- ranged with itsbeveled face 7 at one side 1 thereof the rib 8 at the other side will bepositioned within the notch 1, but should the position of the bolt headbe reversed the other rib S will rest within the notch 1. It will beseen therefore that the bolt can be reversed so as to make the lockeither a righthand or a left-hand lock. Longitudinal slots 9 are formedwithin the tongue 5 at opposite sides of ribs 8 and. these slots areengaged by lugs 10 formed at one end of links 11. Lugs 12 are formed atthe other ends of these links and lit within openings 13 formed inopposite end portions of a wing 14 mounted upon the knob spindle 15.

\ Slidably mounted within the casing is a locking bolt 16 from whichextends a thin flat late 17, there being shoulders 18 formed by t 1ehead at its point of conjunction with the plate 17. A longitudinal slot19 is formed within the free end portion of the plate 17 and asubstantially semi-elliptical opening 20 is formed within the tongue between the ends thereof. This opening is designed to receive the bit 21of a key 22 when the bolt 16 is retracted. In other words, the openingis normally located between the keyholes 23.

1. pivot-pin 2-1 extends through the plate 17 close to the upperportions of the shoulders 18 and mounted on this pin are series oftumblers 25, each tumbler being in the form of a flat plate so shaped asto normally rest by gravity upon one of the shoulders 18 and, when thuspositioned, having its edges registering with the corresponding edges ofthe plate 17. Any desired number of these tuniblers may be placed ateach side of the plate 17 and formed within the free end portion of eachtumbler is a double T-sha-ped slot 26 a ortion of which is designed tonormally register with a portion of the slot 19. These normallyregistering portions of slots 19 and 26 have a transversely extendinglocking pin or screw 27 extending through them, said pin or screw beingalso utilized to fasten the face plate of the lock in position. Theopposed tongues 28 formed by the slot 26 are of diiferent lengths in thedifferent tumblers so that the necessary vertical movement of thetumblers, in order to bring the middle portions of the slots 26 intoregister with slot 19, varies. Each of the tumblers 25 has an opening 29formed therein and normally registering with the opening 20 in plate 17.The openings 29 in the different tumblers differ in contour and eachopening has a tongue 30 extending thereinto from its lower edge. Thesetongues are of difi'erent lengths and are spaced from the opposite sidewalls of the openings 29. By providing the tongues it becomes impossibleto rotate the bit of an inserted key unless said bit is shaped so as topass the tongues 30 of the different tumblers.

when the bolt 16 is retracted the locking pin or screw 27 is positionedin front of the upper tongues 28 of the different tumblers. It is,therefore, obviously impossible to slide the bolt 16 unless thedifferent tumblers are raised different distances so as to cause themiddle portions of their slots 26 to register with the slot 19 in theplate 17. To effect this result it is necessary to so shape the bit 21of the key as to cause it to lift the tumblers different elevations,said bit being at the same time capable of moving between the upwardlyprojecting tongues 30. When the key is rotated within the lock the bitthereof will pass tongues 30 and then swing upwardly against the upperwalls of the openings 29 and 20. The bit is so shaped as to lift thetumblers different distances so as to cause the middle portions f theirslots 26 to register witn slot 19 whereupon said bit will push againstthe wall of opening 20 and slide plate 17 and bolt 16 longitudinally,said bolt carrying the tumblers with it. As the bolt is shifted in thismanner the pin or screw 27 assumes a position within the rear ends ofthe slots 19 and 26 and when the bit 21 moves downwardly so as to permitthe tumblers 25 to drop by gravity, the tongues 28 on the varioustumblers will assume positions in front of the pin or screw 27 so as topositively prevent the bolt 16 and the tumblers from being retractedinto the lock. lt will be noted that during the movement of the bolt thetongues 30 assume positions between the key-holes and thus prevent theinsertion of picks, etc.

In order to prevent the bolt 16 from being shifted even upon theinsertion of the proper key, a button 31 is mounted to rotate within thecasing and has a knob 32 connected to it and extending beyond thecasing, whereby the button can be shifted so as to contact with theupper edges of the tumblers and thus prevent said tumblers from beingelevated. Springs 33 are arranged within the casing and designed to bearagainst the latch bolt tongue 5 and the button 31 respectively. Thesprings will thus operate to hold the latch bolt normally projected andto hold the button either in contact with or shifted from the tumblers25.

To further guard against unauthorized actuation of the lock, thetumblers may be made of difierent thicknesses. Should the tumblers failto drop by gravity the bit of the key will move downward into contactwith the tongues 30 and force the tumblers into their proper positions.The slots 26 have been shown provided with straight walls, but it is tobe understood that whenever necessary these walls can be curved.Although the lock has been shown combined with a latch it is to beunderstood that the latch portion of the device may be dispensed with ifdesired.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a lock the combination with a sliding bolt having a plateextending therefrom and apertured for the reception of a key-bit; oftumblers pivotally connected to and. carried by the plate, said tumblershaving apertures disposed to register with the aperture in the plate toreceive a key-bit.

2. In a lock the combination with a sliding bolt; of tumblers pivotallyconnected to the bolt and having key bit-receiving openings therein andnormally in position to receive a key, said openings being of differentcontours, and a tongue projecting into each opening.

3. In a lock the combination with a sliding bolt having a plateextending therefrom and apertured for the reception of the bit of a key,said plate being slotted in the direction of its movement; of tumblerspivotally connected to the plate and. having key-bit-receiving openingsnormally registering with the cor responding opening in the plate, therebeing tongues extending into the openings within the tumblers, angularslots within the tumblers and normally positioned with portions thereofin register with the slot in the plate, and a retaining device extendingthrough the registering portions of said slot, said device being fixedrelative to the bolt and tumblers.

l. The combination with a sliding bolt and a plate extending therefrom,there being shoulders at the point of contact between the bolt and theplate of flat tumblers pivotally connected to the plate and normallyresting by gravity upon the shoulders, said tumblers and the platehaving key-bit-receiving openings normally registering, tongues ofdifferent proportions within the openings of the tumblers, there being astraight slot within In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own,I have hereto efiixed my signature 1n the presence of two Witnesses.

the plate and irregular slots within the tumblers, portions of the slotsregistering at all times, and a relatively fixed retaining deviceextending through the registering portions LENDIS FREDRICK DAHL. 5 ofthe slots, said tumblers being shiftable to Witnesses:

difierent degrees to permit longitudinal A. M. DALE,

movement thereof upon the retaining device. J. DEK. BROWN.

